Welcome to Gary Mead Wood Compositions.

Gary Mead was raised on a dairy farm in New Kingston, NY located in the heart of the Catskill Mountains. In 1979 he decided to follow his heart. He left the farming life behind and started his own fine woodworking shop, Fruitful Furnishings. For the next eight years he refinished, repaired and crafted fine furniture for clients. read more about me

Latest News

Gary Mead Gallery

Opening Reception 2011

Catskills Forest Festival 2010

About Me

Gary Mead was raised on a dairy farm in New Kingston, NY located in the heart of the Catskill Mountains. In 1979 he decided to follow his heart. He left the farming life behind and started his own fine woodworking shop, Fruitful Furnishings. For the next eight years he refinished, repaired and crafted fine furniture for clients.

In 1987 he received a call. A friend had a lead on companies in need of having dimensional wood processing orders filled. He decided to make some calls to see if he could set something up. He figured if he could increase his income he would soon be able to dedicate more time to his craft and be able to raise a family. Incredibly he found a way to do both.

Gary Mead Gallery

by Jessie Koester

Trees talk to Gary Mead. All kinds of trees. Even, and maybe especially, the ones that might be overlooked by other woodworkers. These are old trees, huge trees--one can imagine their roots going back to the beginning of time. As he walks underneath towering canopies, or beside fallen trunks on the forest floor, touching the cool dry bark and breathing in the soothing scents of wood, Mead hears a voice, gets a vision, just knows from deep within his soul what he can do to resurrect them for lifetimes to come. Perhaps because he was born and raised on a dairy farm in New Kingston, NY, the spirit of the Catskill mountains runs deep within him. After a childhood spent dairy farming, Mead taught himself the artistry of woodworking.

Now, the spirit is made manifest in his furniture and sculptures--works of art, really--crafted from the local butternut, soft maple, red beechnut, pine, birch, and hemlocks that he loves. Mead loves all wood, even that bound for the scrap heap. There’s no such thing as imperfection. Notches, knots, wrinkles--all are appreciated. He remembers exactly where every tree comes from, labelling every board: Mill Brook, Hubbel Hill, Shokan, Keany Hollow. He keeps a diary for each piece, too, recording the time, date, and the process that went into the composition. Sometimes he’s inspired to write a poem about the work. Framed copies hang on the walls of his gallery alongside the finished products.

Fruitful Furnishings--Mead’s business since 1979--is handmade, infused with the unflagging spirit of the American dream and the devotion of a folk artist, from the floorboards to the ceiling. His sawmill, dry kiln, and the Gary Mead Gallery are nestled in a serene hollow of Pakatakan Mountain, in Margaretville, New York. In this sanctuary, he cuts and kiln-dries the boards, then lovingly begins to create his visions--uniquely beautiful pieces like his Mother & Child Pantry, a 7 foot tall and 3 1/2 foot wide hollow hemlock trunk (the mother) within which he has inserted another 7 foot by 5 inch solid hemlock log (the child) and 7 lazy susans; or The Xylophone Table that he carved with a handmade jig, his first inspiration for following the natural curve of a tree; and the stunning Cider Mill Press Base Table made from the 20-ton white pine planks of a local cider press upon which, over the last 69 years, hundreds of thousands of gallons of apple cider have flowed, naturally staining the wide, worn boards the warm honeyed color of apple juice.

“Nature’s incredible,” Mead says. One can say the same for Mead’s work, crafted with love, care, and a deeply-rooted respect for nature. The Gary Mead Gallery is a haven in which trees speak to all who visit. Come see for yourself. Visit the Gary Mead Gallery online (http://www.gary-mead.com), or better yet, in person. The spirit is contagious.

Cider Press Base Harvest Table

One of a kind! Available now!
Made from a White Pine cider mill press base. This base was in service from 1939 to 2008 (69years) and has had thousands of gallons of apple cider flow through it. The 3" cider flow holes can be seen on each end and are protected by plexiglass.
Dismantles easily for transporting.Dimensions:
H: 32" W: 45" L: 144" - Weight: Approx. 275 - 300 lbs

The story goes---A client asked me to make his family dining room table with the top being 36"x54". I went to my special table stock and chose Norway Spruce. I took two pcs. off the pile and planed them down. I got the log from a parking lot that was overgrown in Fleischmanns from a local big equipment operator/logger. When he delivered it he exclaimed that it had three times the amount of limbs that a normal Norway Spruce has. I was excited and sawed it right away , stickered and kiln dried the lumber , then put in dry storage.

A few years later a client stopped by and asked for something special in a 36"x54" top size dining table. He exclaimed that his teenage son wanted to help with the table to give to his mom for her birthday and I agreed. I immediately thought of this Norway Spruce I had in storage. Took two pcs from the pile and planed down and strait line ripped the planks so we could see the grain pattern. I took the two pcs. and put them together and this Alien Head appeared. Called the clients and they were pleased so we went ahead with project. This was in Feb. of 2012. I asked them what they wanted for leg support system and they said they had Red Pine Saplings on their property they could cut and bring them to me to dry. When they brought them I told them the bark may fall off during drying process. I was wrong because it not only stayed on, it cemented itself to the sapwood and gave us that beautiful redish color.

Living Room Ceiling

One of a kind! Available now!Made from Teak, Purple Heart, Cherry, Wormy Soft Maple, Red Oak, White Pine and African Pallet Lumber.
Each piece is sealed twice with sanding sealer. This design can be customized with any type of wood.
Please call with the size and shape of the area to discuss availablilty.